Mobile x-ray chair

ABSTRACT

A wheeled carrier for patients designed so that X-rays of almost every description may be taken without moving the patient out of the very chair in which he was transported to the X-ray department including a frame, a back, a seat, wheels mounted on the frame, means on the back for holding a film cassette, means on the side for releasably holding a film cassette, and means on the other side for releasably holding a film cassette.

United States Patent Charles D. Allard 1620 Hickory Ave., San Leandro, Calif. 94579;

Eugene R. Allard, 1809 A Pearl, Alameda, Calif. 94501 Appl. No. 863,649

Filed Oct. 3, 1969 Patented Dec. 7, 1971 Inventors MOBILE XRAY CHAIR 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 250/50, 250/58 Int. Cl G0ln 23/04 Field of Search 250/50, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,074,120 9/1913 Hutton 250/58 1,871,005 8/1932 Mutscheller et a1. 250/57 2,790,083 4/1957 Snawder et a1. 250/50 3,141,972 7/1964 Oller 250/55 Primary ExaminerWilliam F. Lindquist Attorney-Milmore & Cypher ABSTRACT: A wheeled carrier for patients designed so that X-rays of almost every description may be taken without moving the patient out of the very chair in which he was transported to the X-ray department including a frame, a back, a seat, wheels mounted on the frame, means on the back for holding a film cassette, means on the side for releasably holding a film cassette, and means on the other side for releasably holding a film cassette.

PATENTED DEC 7 IBll SHEET 1 BF 3 INVENTORS Charles D. Allard Eugene R. Allard WA/Z'Dvd r-b 4% Attorneys PATENTEDUEE nan 3.626186 SHEET 2 OF 3 Fig.2

INVENTORS Charles D. Allard y Eugene R. Allard Attorneys MOBILE X-RAY CHAIR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Patients requiring X-rays are generally taken to a fixed location by means of wheelchairs or guerneys and are then transferred to a table and either lie or sit on the table while the X- rays machine is maneuvered into position above them, or they stand in front of the X-ray machine and a wall mounted device holds the film cassette.

Some hospitals have portable X-ray equipment which is taken to the patients room where he may be X-rayed but at a great expense in time and the services of several technicians. In hospitals, it is desirable to have some means of transporting the patient to the X -ray room without having to move the patient from the transporting equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The gist of the invention is a uniquely designed wheeled cart which carries means for holding film cassettes so that X-rays can be taken at any position without removing the patient from the chair.

An object of the present invention is to minimize the bandling of patients during the process of taking X-rays particu larly of those patients who are elderly, those patients in which movement causes great pain, and patients having fractured bones in which further movement almost certainly means increased damage, pain and suffering.

Another object is to provide an inexpensive piece of equipment which will permit X-rays to be taken more quickly, will diminish the need for transporting heavy X-ray equipment to the patient, and will position the patient so that better X-rays can be taken.

Still another object is to provide a mobile unit which can carry life support equipment while the patient is transported to and from the X-ray facilities.

A still further object is to provide a device for holding the patient which will enable a single X-ray technician to change the position of the patient, quickly, with a minimum of effort and a minimum of efiort and discomfort to the patient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a mobile X-ray chair constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the unit shown in FIG. 1 taken substantially along the line 2-2.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the unit shown in FIG. 1 taken substantially along the line 33.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The mobile X-ray chair of the present invention consists briefly of a lightweight frame having wheels mounted on the frame permitting guided movement of the unit; a seat 6 mounted on the frame for receiving a patient in a seated position; a back 7 mounted on the frame for supporting the back of the patient; first means mounted on the back for receiving a film cassette 8; second means mounted on the frame adjacent the side of the seat for receiving a film cassette; and a third cassette holding means mounted on the frame adjacent the side of the seat opposite the second means.

The frame consists of side metal members 11 and 12, end members 13 and 14, and U-shaped upright members 15 and 16 connected thereto. Vertical members such as 17 and horizontal members give the necessary stability. Two mounting brackets 18 and 19 mounted to the bottom front of the frame carry fixed rubber wheels 21 and 22 and casters 23 and 24 mounted on the rear of the frame carry rubber wheels 26 and 27. The fixed and caster wheels may be mounted in reverse order as functional requirements require.

The seat is preferably padded for comfort and is mounted on crossmembers 28 and 29 affixed to the frame. Preferably the seat is elevated slightly above the frame members so that a film cassette can be slipped beneath the seat for taking X-rays of the pelvic region. The cassettes: may be held conveniently by parallel channel members 31 and 32. The seat may be removably connected to the frame so that the patient may be lifted from the mobile unit in the seat. It is also possible to construct the seat with a hard smooth surface for taking hip X- rays.

The back member is preferably made with a hard smooth surface such as a plastic coated fiber board 33 with a decorative surface, laminated to a pressed fiber board material 34. The backboard is affixed to a tubular frame having said members 36 and 37 which are connected to the frame. It has been found that the optimum positioning of the backboard for taking X-rays requires a tilt of 10 degrees from the vertical. In transporting the patients, a tilt of 20 has been found to be more comfortable for many patients. To accommodate the two optimum positions, the back may be pivotally connected by connectors 38 and 39 to the frame.

The first means mounted on the chair back for holding a film cassette consists of vertical members 41 and 42 and crossmembers 43 and 44 connected to the frame members of the back. A pair of elongated members 46 and 47 mounted on the cassette frame in parallel spaced relationship serve as a slide. A slide member having a crossmember 40 and side members 49 and 51 is mounted for sliding engagement on the elongated members and a channel member 52 connected to the crossmember engages the upper edge 53 of a film cassette.

In order that the film cassette may be readily placed at different elevations, a second slide member is mounted laterally of the elongated members for selective sliding engagement thereon. This mechanism consists of a transverse member 56 bearing a channel member 57 for receiving the bottom edge of the film cassette. Side members 58 and 59 slidably engage the upright slide members. In order to lock the mechanism at an infinite number of positions along the slide members, there is a first arm 61 pivotally connected to the second slide member at pivot point 62 which is offset from the crossmember by a short member 63 so that the arm is angularly related to the elongated member in a lock position and perpendicular to the elongated member in the slide position. In the end of each arm is an opening slightly larger than the cross section of the elongated member for frictional engagement therewith in the locking position. While a single arml would effectively lock the bottom slide member, it is preferable to use two arms for more secure holding and to keep the bottom edge more nearly parallel. Thus, a second arm 64 is pivotally connected at point 66 and spaced from the crossarm by a short member 67 and has an opening in its end through which passes the elongated member. So that the arms can be moved simultaneously, a means is provided for hingedly connecting the inboard ends of the first and second arms. A practical means is to weld a short member 68 to one end of an arm and slide the other end into an opening in the inboard end of the other arm. To prevent the danger of pinching, a flexible tube can be placed so as to sur round the short member particularly at the slip joint.

To insure thatthe lock mechanism will stay in the locked position, springs 71 and 72 are provided to bias the first and second arms to the lock position.

In order to take lateral X-rays of a patient without requiring him to move, a second means is mounted on the frame adjacent the side of the seat for receiving a film cassette. This means consists of a channel member 73 connected to the side of the frame in which the channel is wide enough to accommodate cassettes of varying widths such as the standard cassette and the special grid cassette. Connected to the channel are two pairs of upright members 74, 75, 76 and 77 which diverge at their upper ends to guide the cassette frame into the channel. In order to hold the upper end of the cassette frame, a protruding boss 79 is provided on. the upper end of the cassette frame, a protruding boss 79 is provided on the upper end of the back to register with an opening in a tab affixed to the cassette frame. The cassette frame in all other respects is the same as the cassette frame for the b ack. The cassette frame is shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 and the parts are labeled as follows: vertical members 41' and 42', crossmembers 43' and 44' connected to the frame members, elongated members 46' and 47 mounted in parallel relation, a slide member having a crossmember 48' and side members 49' and 51, a channel member 52' connected to the crossmember to engage the upper edge of a film cassette, a second slide member consisting of a transverse member 56' having a channel member 57', side members 58' and 59', a first arm 61' pivoted at point 62 on member 63', a second arm 64 connected at point 66' on member 67. As set forth above, the arms are formed with openings which frictionally engage the parallel members when the arms are moved to an angle. The arms are connected by a short member 68 surrounded by a flexible tube 69. Springs 71 and 72 bias the arms to the lock position.

Lateral X-rays can be taken from either side with the unit shown in the drawings. For this purpose, a channel 86 is connected to the frame and upright members 87, 88, 89 and 90 are provided with their upper ends diverging to receive the cassette frame. A third cassette is not shown as it would be identical in every respect to the second cassette above described.

A foot rest 92 is slidably mounted on channel members 93 and 94 suspended from the lower part of the frame by members 96 and 97. Arrow 98 shows the direction the foot rest is extended and the solid lines show the foot rest position in the normal position so that the chair can be stored in a compact form.

In the event an X-ray is to be taken of the leg of a patient while seated in the chair, a leg rest consisting of a U-shaped tubular member having a cross portion 101 and two elongated members 102 and 103, carried by channel members 105 and 106 carried by the frame beneath the seat can be slid out as in the position shown in FIG. 1. The leg rest can be stored by pushing it beneath the seat in the direction shown by arrow 107. Padding 108 may be added for comfort. If necessary, the film cassette may be placed directly on the elongated members beneath the legs of the patient.

The unit is readily pushed or pulled by manually engageable hand grips 111 and 112 frictionally attached to arms 113 and 1 14 connected to the back.

One of the very important features of the present invention is the fact that the frame is so constructed that a shelf 116 can be attached to the bottom to carry life support equipment such as oxygen bottles, emesis basin, vacuum bottles and other types of equipment which may be needed to sustain a patient while being transported to the X-ray room. There is sufficient room, in fact beneath the seat and the bottom shelf to build in shelves in which many small items may be stored for the patient in case of emergency or just for comfort. Facial tissue boxes, scissors, and many other implements can be readily stored.

Vertically adjustable arm tests are provided on both sides of the seat and here consist of arm rests 117 and 118 carried by vertical support members 119, 120, 121, and 122. Adjustment is obtained by sliding the vertical supports within box members 124, 125, 126 and 127. Threaded bolts on hand engageable knobs 128, 129, 130 and 131 fit into threaded openings in the box members and bear against the vertical supports in frictional engagement.

The unit shown in the drawings has a back which can be adjusted to various degrees for the comfort of the patient and can even be moved to the horizontal position for taking all the X-ray pictures one would normally take on a table. The adjusting means consists of a forked member 136 mounted at pivots 137 and 138 on the frame and movable from a first rest position as shown in solid lines in FIG. 1 to a released position. Connected to the forked member is a lever arm 139 which may be operated by the foot by pivoting it at point 141, attaching a foot treadle 142 and inserting a spring 143 between the treadle and the frame. First fork arms 144 and 145 mounted on either end of the forked member move against stops or a part of the frame. The second arms 147 and 148 of the forked member engage a crossarm 149 connected to the distal ends of the struts 151 and 152. The struts are pivotally connected to the frame at points 153 and 154. A plurality of stop members 156 are located at various elevations on the frame to receive the crossarm. When the back is in the position shown in FIG. 1 shown in dotted lines, the back is preferably at a IO-degree angle. When the foot treadle is depressed, a link 157 connected to strap 158 at pivot 159 rotates the forked member in a clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 1. The crossarm is then moved forwardly and upwardly initially and then back and downwardly to one of the lower stop members. When the crossarm is resting on the stop designated 161 a movable stop member 162 holds the upper side of the crossarm so that the back cannot move forwardly if the mobile unit is suddenly stopped. Curved guides 163 and 164 prevent the crossarm from moving too far away from the frame.

One of the life support features of the present invention is the provision for adding fluids to the body during transport or the taking of X-rays. Accordingly, an IV pole 166 with a hook 167 is slidably held in channel 168 connected to the chair back and adjusted by threaded knob 169 received in a threaded opening in the channel to frictionally bear against the IV pole.

Another very useful attachment is a hook 171 attached to the frame which holds the catheter tube. The reservoir may be placed on the bottom shelf of the unit.

In transporting older people or patients subject to fainting, a safety strap is provided to support them. A belt with eyelets is often used and hooks into catches 172 and 173 at either side of the chair back.

In constructing the unit, the handles and the struts supporting the chair back may be either two pieces as shown or made from one piece of metal, shaped in the manner shown. Constructing the members in one piece greatly facilitates assembly.

In order to secure the film cassette to either side, a boss 176 is provided at the upper end of the chair as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The boss registers with openings in respective tabs 177 and 178.

The following is a partial list of X-rays which may be taken while the patient is seated in the chair. As stated above, almost any type may be taken but the following have been found to be very easily performed.

method of administering contrast media In use, the patient is placed in the chair with his feet either held by the foot rest, or his legs supported by the foot rest. In the transporting position, the back is generally held at about a 20-degree position or if the patient cannot sit up, the back may be lowered to the horizontal or near horizontal. When the patient arrives at the X-ray department, the technician places the chair back in the IO-degree tilt position by depressing the foot treadle and pushing forwardly on the handles until the crossmember approximates the desired position. The treadle is then released and the spring returns the forked member to the normal position. The back is then permitted to move slightly rearwardly until it is in the catch position.

The unit is then wheeled to a premarked position on the floor and the film cassettes are placed in the frames. The slidable portions of the frames are then moved to the proper height and the X-ray pictures may then be taken. The chair arm is of course lowered before taking the picture.

When not in use, the foot and leg supports are slid inside the frame, the back is tilted up and the unit occupies a minimum of space. The units are inexpensive so that one or two may be stored on each floor of a hospital ready for instant use.

We claim:

1. A portable mobile X-ray chair unit which may be rapidly moved in the rooms and corridors of hospitals and other buildings comprising:

a. a lightweight frame having forward and rearward portrons;

b. wheels mounted on said frame permitting guided movement of said unit;

c. a seat mounted on said frame for receiving a patient in a seated position;

(1. a back mounted on said frame for supporting the back of said patient;

e. first means mounted on said back for receiving a film cassette;

f. second means mounted on said frame adjacent the side of said seat for receiving a film cassette having upper and lower edges;

g. a foot rest mounted on and normally within said frame adjacent said wheels and slidable to an extended position externally of said forward portion of said frame for supporting the feet of a seated patient;

h. manually engageable handgrips mounted on said back;

i. said back being pivotally mounted to said frame at its base;

j. means selectively holding said back in varying angular positions;

k. a third cassette holding means mounted on said frame adjacent the side of said seat opposite said second means;

l. a pair of anti rests mounted on said frame adjacent said seat for selective raised and lowered adjustment and being removable from said frame permitting lateral X-ray pictures to be taken, and

m. said second and third means including a member mounted on said frame for holding said film cassette at right angles to said back in an inclined position.

2. An X-ray unit as defined in claim 11 including;

a. a leg rest mounted on said frame immediately below said seat and slidable from a normal position within said frame to an extended position forwardly of said frame.

3. An X-ray unit as defined in claim 1 including:

b. means for holding life support equipment connected to said frame below said seated patient.

4. An X-ray unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said means holding said back includes:

a. a forked member pivotally mounted on said frame and having first and second fork arms and movable from a first rest position to a second released position by a lever arm connected thereto b. a strut pivotally connected to said back;

c. a crossarm connected to the distal end of said strut;

d. the second arm of said fork releasably engaging said crossarm;

e. a plurality of stop members mounted on said frame at varying elevations for releasably receiving said crossarm; and

f. a movable stop member connected to said lever arm mounted adjacent one of said stop members for cooperation therewith to releasably hold said crossarm.

5. An X-ray unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said second and third cassette holding means consists of a channel member mounted parallel to the longitudinal axis of said X- ray chair unit; stub means mounted on said back; and a film cassette frame having an arm mounted thereon for registered engagement with said stub means. 

1. A portable mobile X-ray chair unit which may be rapidly moved in the rooms and corridors of hospitals and other buildings comprising: a. a lightweight frame having forward and rearward portions; b. wheels mounted on said frame permitting guided movement of said unit; c. a seat mounted on said frame for receiving a patient in a seated position; d. a back mounted on said frame for supporting the back of said patient; e. first means mounted on said back for receiving a film cassette; f. second means mounted on said frame adjacent the side of said seat for receiving a film cassette having upper and lower edges; g. a foot rest mounted on and normally within said frame adjacent said wheels and slidable to an extended position externally of said forward portion of said frame for supporting the feet of a seated patient; h. manually engageable handgrips mounted on said back; i. said back being pivotally mounted to said frame at its base; j. means selectively holding said back in varying angular positions; k. a third cassette holding means mounted on said frame adjacent the side of said seat opposite said second means; l. a pair of arm rests mounted on said frame adjacent said seat for selective raised and lowered adjustment and being removable from said frame permitting lateral X-ray pictures to be taken, and m. said second and third means including a member mounted on said frame for holding said film cassette at right angles to said back in an inclined position of said back.
 2. An X-ray unit as defined in claim 1 including; a. a leg rest mounted on said frame immediately below said seat and slidable from a normal position within said frame to an extended position forwardly of said frame.
 3. An X-ray unit as defined in claim 1 including: b. means for holding life support equipment connected to said frame below said seated patient.
 4. An X-ray unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said means holding said back includes: a. a forked member pivotally mounted on said frame and having first and second fork arms and movable from a first rest position to a second released position by a lever arm connected thereto b. a strut pivotally connected to said back; c. a crossarm connected to the distal end of said strut; d. the second arm of said fork releasably engagIng said crossarm; e. a plurality of stop members mounted on said frame at varying elevations for releasably receiving said crossarm; and f. a movable stop member connected to said lever arm mounted adjacent one of said stop members for cooperation therewith to releasably hold said crossarm.
 5. An X-ray unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said second and third cassette holding means consists of a channel member mounted parallel to the longitudinal axis of said X-ray chair unit; stub means mounted on said back; and a film cassette frame having an arm mounted thereon for registered engagement with said stub means. 